In the past, when a phone got wet, a popular piece of advice was to immediately submerge it in a bag of rice. The general idea was that the rice would act as a desiccant, absorbing the moisture and drying out the phone. However, this method has been met with skepticism by experts over the years, who have consistently warned against it. Now, various tests have confirmed the inefficacy of this method, demonstrating that it is not only ineffective, but can also potentially harm the device.
Recently, Apple has officially issued a warning against the rice drying method. The tech giant made this announcement on its support forum, advising users not to place their iPhones in a bag of rice. The primary concern, as reported by the BBC, is that the small particles from the rice can infiltrate the device, leading to potential damage.
Instead of the rice method, Apple recommends a different approach for dealing with a wet iPhone. Users are advised to gently tap the phone in the palm of their hand with the connector facing down. This is intended to expel the liquid from the device. Afterwards, the phone should be left to dry naturally for a period of time.
After about thirty minutes, users can attempt to connect the charger. If a warning message appears, it indicates that the connectors are still wet, and the phone should be left to dry for a full day. Apple also strongly discourages the use of external heat sources like hair dryers or compressors for drying the device, as well as inserting ear buds or paper towels into the connector.
MacWorld has reported that, besides the risk of damage from the rice particles, the rice drying method is not particularly effective at drying the device. The method appears to have originated from advice given for drying cameras in the 1940s, and it seems that its efficacy has been greatly overstated over the years.
